This apricot streusel cheesecake features a rich and creamy cheesecake with a brown sugar shortbread base, and apricots and streusel on top.
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apricot cheesecake with streusel
I absolutely love apricots and think that they are so beautiful in bakes, which is exactly why today we’re making an apricot cheesecake. The cheesecake itself is rich and creamy, and has apricot halves placed on top of it. When the apricots bake, they get a little tart and jammy which pairs so well with the sweet, creamy cheesecake. The crust of this cheesecake is also more of a brown sugar shortbread, which doubles as the streusel on top. While all of that is good and delicious, I think that truly the best part about this recipe is that no water bath is required.
why you’ll love this apricot cheesecake:
- It’s super rich and creamy: heavy cream with the cream cheese makes the *creamiest* texture in this cheesecake.
- The shortbread crust: In my opinion shortbread crusts are *way* better and more delicious than graham cracker crusts because they’re essentially a cookie crust. In this cheesecake, the shortbread crust also doubles as a streusel on top.
- There’s full apricots in the cheesecake: instead of jam, we’re slicing apricots in half and baking them into the cheesecake so you get that nice tart, fresh contrast to the sweet cheesecake.
expert baking tips
Weigh your ingredients:
My recipes are all written in grams because it is the most accurate way to bake. When you use a kitchen scale, you ensure that your baked goods turn out as close to the written recipe as possible. Plus, the cleanup is way easier when using a scale! I will provide standard cup measurements but please note that I have not tested the recipe using cup measurements and therefore can not guarantee your recipe will come out how mine did. Here is my favorite kitchen scale.
Use room temperature ingredients:
It’s important that your ingredients are at room temperature so that they can easily incorporate with each other. Take out your cream cheese, egg, and heavy cream 1-2 hours before starting the cheesecake.
how to avoid cracks in a cheesecake
Here are my 4 best tips for avoiding cracks in your cheesecake –
- Mix the batter carefully – after adding in the eggs, you’ll want to make sure to only mix the batter until the eggs are fully incorporated. This will make sure we don’t add too much air into the batter, which will help keep the batter dense and avoid cracks forming on top.
- Tap the cheesecake on the counter – giving your cheesecake a few good taps on the counter prior to baking helps remove air bubbles that could cause cracks on top.
- Bake your cheesecake in a water bath – this helps to evenly bake the cheesecake from all sides. This isn’t *necessary* for this cheesecake in particular, but might help you for other cheesecakes that don’t have a streusel on top.
- Cool your cheesecake in the oven – once your cheesecake is done baking, turn off the oven and leave the door of the oven just *slightly* ajar. Let the cheesecake sit like that for one hour before transferring it to the fridge. This process allows your cheesecake to slowly come down to room temperature rather than quickly going from 350F to room temperature, which makes it less likely that the top will crack.
how to tell when your cheesecake is done baking
Cheesecake is done baking when it’s only slightly wobbly in the center. I like to temp my cheesecake as a more accurate way to tell when it’s done. A thermometer stuck into the middle of the cheesecake should read 170 fahrenheit / 76 celsius.
A note on oven temperature:
Ovens vary and fluctuate in temperature and might not always actually be at the temperature they claim to be at. If you love to bake like I do, I highly recommend getting an oven thermometer. They are super helpful for letting you know when your oven might be lying to you! I use this one.
ingredients for apricot streusel cheesecake:
crust/streusel:
- Unsalted butter: salted or your favorite non-dairy butter stick will work perfectly here as well.
- Light brown sugar: for flavor and sweetness.
- All purpose flour: for structure.
cheesecake:
- Cream cheese: the base of the cheesecake and what makes it tangy, rich, and creamy.
- Eggs: binds the batter together.
- Granulated sugar: for sweetness and helps lock in moisture.
- Corn starch: for thickening up the cheesecake. You can substitute in 2 tbsp. of flour in its place if needed.
- Lemon: you’ll need the zest of 1 small lemon, which will help brighten up the cheesecake flavor.
- Heavy whipping cream: for moisture and richness.
- Vanilla: for flavor.
- Apricots: because of course, they’re the star of the show! You can also use plums or peaches here, although you may want to pat the peaches dry after cutting into them before placing them on the cheesecake.
how to make apricot streusel cheesecake
apricot cheesecake recipe q&a
what size cake pan do I need?
You’ll need a 9″ springform pan for this cheesecake. You can use an 8″ or 10″ springform, just note that your cheesecake will be thicker and take a bit longer with the 8″, and will be thinner and take a bit less time with the 10″. I wouldn’t recommend using a non-springform pan because it will be more difficult to get the cheesecake out of the pan, but if you’re okay with just serving the cheesecake from the pan, then a non-springform pan will work.
How should I store cheesecake?
The cheesecake should be out at room temperature for no more than 2 hours. Keep the cheesecake covered and stored in the fridge, where it will keep well for up to 5 days.
tools and ingredients:
You can find all my favorite tools and ingredients that I use on my Amazon Storefront page, here!
other recipes you might enjoy:
did you make this recipe?
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Apricot Streusel Cheesecake
Ingredients
Shortbread / Streusel
- 141 g unsalted butter (10 tbsp.)
- 150 g light brown sugar (¾ c.)
- 240 g all purpose flour (2 c.)
Apricot Cheesecake
- 150 g granulated sugar (¾ c.)
- 1 tbsp. cornstarch
- zest of 1 small lemon
- 450 g cream cheese room temperature (2 bricks)
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 110 g heavy whipping cream room temperature (½ c.)
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 4* apricots washed, halved & pitted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C. Line the bottom of a springform pan with parchment paper by placing the paper on the base, then snapping the pan together.
Shortbread / Streusel
- In a small mixing bowl, melt the butter. Mix in the sugar and flour until you have a cohesive dough.
- Press 1 c. of the mixture into the bottom of a springform pan.
Apricot Cheesecake
- Rinse, halve and pit the apricots. Set aside.
- Add the sugar, cornstarch, and lemon zest to a medium sized mixing bowl (or to a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.)
- Use your fingers to rub the zest into the sugar and cornstarch.
- Add the cream cheese into the sugar mixture. Use a hand mixer (or stand mixer) to beat the ingredients together for 2 minutes.
- Add both eggs into the cream cheese, and beat the mixture on low speed *just* until the eggs have been fully incorporated.
- Add in the heavy cream and vanilla, and again beat on low speed just until the mixture is cohesive.
- Pour the cheesecake filling over the crust. Tap the pan on the counter a few times to help remove any air from the filling.
- Place the apricot halves face down into the cheesecake. Crumble the remaining streusel mixture over the apricots and cheesecake.
- Place the cheesecake in the oven and bake for 35-45 minutes, or until the cheesecake only slightly wobbles and reaches an internal temperature of at least 170°F / 76°C.
- Once the cheesecake is fully cooked, turn off the oven and leave the door slightly ajar with the cheesecake in it for 1 hr. before transferring it to the fridge to chill for at least 8 hours.
- Once the cheesecake has fully set, slice it, serve and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Please note that the nutrition facts are only an estimate and may vary based on different brands of ingredients and any substitutions made.
I used dried apricots cut into small quarters, tossed in corn starch so they don’t stick together. I then layered the batter, sprinkle of apricots, more batter and then more apricots. Turned out fantastic. The streusel base instead of graham crackers is delicious! I sometimes just make the streusel to add something sweet to a yogurt & fruit bowl. Thank you for the recipe, everyone was raving about how good it was!
Thank you so much Emilly, I’m so happy you enjoyed it & using the streusel for a yogurt bowl sounds delish! 🙂
Can you use tinned apricots when fruits not in season ?
I haven’t tried it but I don’t see why not! I would just make sure they have been drained really well before putting them on the cheesecake.
Hi, this looks truly lovely! You mentioned “sour cream” initially under the room temperature ingredients section, but then the recipe called for “heavy cream”. Can sour cream be used in place of the heavy cream?
I can’t wait to try this recipe; do you think it could work with mango?
hi! sorry about that – that section was copied over from another post! you can definitely sub in sour cream but I think that heavy cream gives better texture. As for the mango I’ve never tried or seen it baked into a cheesecake but I’d love to know how it turns out if you try it!